OPT Choir Director Jobs
Choir Director roles on OPT typically fall under music education or performing arts, both recognized specialty occupation fields. Most positions require a bachelor's degree in music, choral conducting, or a related discipline. Your 12-month OPT window (29 months with a STEM extension) applies to full-time and part-time roles at schools, universities, and arts organizations.
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Get Access To All JobsPOSITION: Teacher- Junior High School Choir Director
Exempt Status Exempt
No. of Days According to district approved calendar
Reports To Principal Director of Fine Arts
Supervises As assigned
Education
- Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university.
- Valid state teaching certificate, secondary or all-level music.
Experience
- Minimum of four years teaching preferred.
POSITION FUNCTION/PURPOSE
Provide students with appropriate learning activities and experiences designed to fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth. Enable students to develop competencies and skills to function successfully in society.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Program Planning:
- Direct junior high school choir, soloists, and ensembles.
- Establish performance requirements, enforce academic requirements, and verify each student’s eligibility to participate in choir, extracurricular performances.
- Provide for choir participation at extracurricular events.
- Arrange transportation, lodging, and meals for out of town events.
- Comply with federal and state laws, State Board of Education rules, UIL rules, and board policy.
- Organize and support booster club activities.
- Obtain and use evaluative findings (including student achievement data) to determine program effectiveness and ensure that the program renewal is continuous and responds to student needs.
- Make recommendations to improve program.
Budget and Inventory:
- Ensure that programs are cost effective and funds are managed wisely.
- Compile budgets and cost estimates based on documented program needs.
- Coordinate fundraising activities and manage funds.
- Maintain current inventory of all fixed assets within the department/program.
- Oversee process of cleaning, repairing, and storing all equipment and uniforms.
Instruction:
- Prepare lessons that reflect accommodations for individual student differences.
- Present subject matter according to guidelines established by the Texas Education Agency, board policies, and administrative regulations.
- Plan and use appropriate instructional and learning strategies, activities, materials, and equipment that reflect understanding of the learning styles and needs of students.
- Conduct ongoing assessments of student achievement through formal and informal testing.
- Create an environment conducive to learning and appropriate for the physical, social, and emotional development of students.
Student Management:
- Apply and enforce student discipline in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and student handbook.
- Accompany and supervise students on all out of town trips.
- Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities.
Communication:
- Establish and maintain open communication by conducting conferences with parents, students, principals, and teachers.
- Maintain professional relationships with colleagues, students, parents, and community members.
Personnel:
- Monitor the performance of assistant directors and feeder junior high directors.
- Communicate concerns of assistant and feeder directors to the appropriate principal and the Director of Fine Arts.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Special Knowledge/Skills:
- Knowledge of overall operation of choir program
- Ability to manage budget
- Knowledge of state and UIL policies governing choir
- Ability to interpret policy, procedures, and data
- Strong communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills
EQUIPMENT USED
- Telephone
- Computer and printer
- Calculator
- Copy Machine
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environment Factors:
Maintain emotional control under stress. Frequent standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing. Move small stacks of textbooks, media equipment, desks, and other classroom equipment.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive description of all work requirements and responsibilities. Additionally, the minimum level of education noted as a requirement could be supplemented by commensurate experience and/or certification(s) as determined by the hiring manager.
Revision Date 11/01/2023
All MISD employees are expected to maintain an extreme degree of confidentiality by following the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for student information and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) for employee and student information.
Midland Independent School District provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
POSITION: Teacher- Junior High School Choir Director
Exempt Status Exempt
No. of Days According to district approved calendar
Reports To Principal Director of Fine Arts
Supervises As assigned
Education
- Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university.
- Valid state teaching certificate, secondary or all-level music.
Experience
- Minimum of four years teaching preferred.
POSITION FUNCTION/PURPOSE
Provide students with appropriate learning activities and experiences designed to fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth. Enable students to develop competencies and skills to function successfully in society.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Program Planning:
- Direct junior high school choir, soloists, and ensembles.
- Establish performance requirements, enforce academic requirements, and verify each student’s eligibility to participate in choir, extracurricular performances.
- Provide for choir participation at extracurricular events.
- Arrange transportation, lodging, and meals for out of town events.
- Comply with federal and state laws, State Board of Education rules, UIL rules, and board policy.
- Organize and support booster club activities.
- Obtain and use evaluative findings (including student achievement data) to determine program effectiveness and ensure that the program renewal is continuous and responds to student needs.
- Make recommendations to improve program.
Budget and Inventory:
- Ensure that programs are cost effective and funds are managed wisely.
- Compile budgets and cost estimates based on documented program needs.
- Coordinate fundraising activities and manage funds.
- Maintain current inventory of all fixed assets within the department/program.
- Oversee process of cleaning, repairing, and storing all equipment and uniforms.
Instruction:
- Prepare lessons that reflect accommodations for individual student differences.
- Present subject matter according to guidelines established by the Texas Education Agency, board policies, and administrative regulations.
- Plan and use appropriate instructional and learning strategies, activities, materials, and equipment that reflect understanding of the learning styles and needs of students.
- Conduct ongoing assessments of student achievement through formal and informal testing.
- Create an environment conducive to learning and appropriate for the physical, social, and emotional development of students.
Student Management:
- Apply and enforce student discipline in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and student handbook.
- Accompany and supervise students on all out of town trips.
- Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities.
Communication:
- Establish and maintain open communication by conducting conferences with parents, students, principals, and teachers.
- Maintain professional relationships with colleagues, students, parents, and community members.
Personnel:
- Monitor the performance of assistant directors and feeder junior high directors.
- Communicate concerns of assistant and feeder directors to the appropriate principal and the Director of Fine Arts.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Special Knowledge/Skills:
- Knowledge of overall operation of choir program
- Ability to manage budget
- Knowledge of state and UIL policies governing choir
- Ability to interpret policy, procedures, and data
- Strong communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills
EQUIPMENT USED
- Telephone
- Computer and printer
- Calculator
- Copy Machine
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environment Factors:
Maintain emotional control under stress. Frequent standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing. Move small stacks of textbooks, media equipment, desks, and other classroom equipment.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive description of all work requirements and responsibilities. Additionally, the minimum level of education noted as a requirement could be supplemented by commensurate experience and/or certification(s) as determined by the hiring manager.
Revision Date 11/01/2023
All MISD employees are expected to maintain an extreme degree of confidentiality by following the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for student information and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) for employee and student information.
Midland Independent School District provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Choir Director
Target employers with visa sponsorship history
Universities, conservatories, and large performing arts organizations are far more likely to sponsor H-1B visa or O-1 visas than small community choirs. Focus your search on institutional employers with dedicated HR departments and prior international hiring experience.
Frame your role as a specialty occupation
Choir Director positions qualify as specialty occupations when a degree in music, choral conducting, or music education is explicitly required. Make sure job descriptions you apply to state a degree requirement clearly, not just as preferred, to strengthen future visa eligibility.
Document your OPT authorization before starting
Confirm your EAD card arrives and your OPT start date is active before your first day of work. Starting employment even one day before your authorized period begins is an unauthorized work violation that can jeopardize your immigration status permanently.
Use your degree field to demonstrate direct relevance
Employers and future visa sponsors need to see a clear connection between your degree and the Choir Director role. Highlight coursework in choral conducting, music education pedagogy, and ensemble leadership on your resume and in your cover letter explicitly.
Start H-1B conversations with employers early
The H-1B lottery registration opens in March each year, with an October 1 start date. If you want H-1B sponsorship, your employer needs to know at least six months before your OPT expires so they have time to prepare and file.
Consider O-1B as an alternative to H-1B
Experienced Choir Directors with performance credits, awards, critical reviews, or documented leadership of distinguished ensembles may qualify for the O-1B visa for extraordinary ability in the arts, which has no lottery and no annual cap.
Choir Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Choir Director jobs qualify as specialty occupations for OPT and H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. Choir Director roles qualify as specialty occupations when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in music, choral conducting, or music education. Positions at universities, K-12 schools, and conservatories typically meet this standard. Roles that list a degree as preferred rather than required can create problems for future H-1B petitions, so scrutinize job descriptions carefully before applying.
Can I work as a Choir Director part-time on OPT?
Yes, part-time work is permitted during the pre-completion OPT period. During post-completion OPT, USCIS requires you to work at least 20 hours per week to remain in valid status. Many Choir Director positions, particularly at schools and community arts organizations, are structured as part-time roles, so tracking your hours carefully each week is important to stay compliant.
Do freelance or contract Choir Director gigs count as valid OPT employment?
Yes, self-employment and contract work are allowed on OPT, provided the work is directly related to your degree field. If you're leading choral groups as an independent contractor, keep detailed records of each engagement, the organization, dates, and hours worked. Your DSO will need this information for your SEVP portal updates, and gaps or vague records can complicate future immigration filings.
Where can I find Choir Director jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is the recommended platform for F-1 OPT students searching for Choir Director roles. It surfaces positions from employers who are open to sponsoring international candidates, saving you the time of filtering through postings where your work authorization status would be an immediate disqualifier. Searching by role and authorization type on Migrate Mate narrows your results to realistic opportunities.
What happens to my OPT if my Choir Director position ends mid-authorization period?
You have a 60-day unemployment buffer during post-completion OPT to find a new position. Unemployment time accumulates across all gaps, not just one. If you exceed 60 days without authorized employment in a role related to your degree, your OPT authorization is considered violated and you lose F-1 status. Notify your DSO immediately when a position ends and begin your next job search right away.